The Philadelphia Phillies are 8-11 to start the season, and if things get much worse, the seat of Rob Thomson might be on fire.
As part of the Phillies roster moves announced on Saturday, superstar closer Jhoan Duran is headed to the injured list. It’s bad news right as the Phillies didn’t need it.
However, while not diminishing the feelings of losing Duran, the Phillies are making a very fun prospect promotion to the big leagues, ditching Otto Kemp back to the minors in favor of right-handed slugging outfielder Felix Reyes.
Phillies ditch Otto Kemp, promote Felix Reyes for MLB debut
“Prior to tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies announced the following roster moves: Infielder/outfielder Felix Reyes had his contract selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and will wear No. 29 …Infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.”
The Phillies are sending Kemp back down to Triple-A after his brutal start to the year as the righty-hitting platoon outfielder. He was hitting .100 with a .282 OPS in 20 at-bats. The Phillies saw enough and made a switch.
Instead of Kemp, the Phillies will now turn to Reyes. The 25-year-old outfield prospect has been in the minor leagues since the 2021 season. And now, he’s set to make his Major League debut.
This season in the minors, he has had an incredibly hot start. Through 18 games and 81 at-bats, a fairly decent sample-size, Reyes is hitting .333 with a .999 OPS.
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He has 27 hits, eight doubles, six home runs, 15 RBIs, 12 runs scored, two walks, and 17 strikeouts on the season so far.
While there might be some concern about his strikeout rate compared to his walk rate, the right-handed hitting slugger is exactly what this Phillies lineup needs.
They’ve been struggling against left-handed pitching, and Reyes, the righty slugger, should be able to help the offense as he takes over in left field, most likely as the platoon outfielder with Brandon Marsh.
Kemp’s struggles were far too great to ignore, and conversely, Reyes’ success in the minors was something the Phillies needed to take a chance on.
While the Duran news is unfortunate, this promotion for Reyes to make his MLB debut is a fun one. He could be a quality hitter in the Majors against lefty pitching, which is exactly what the Phillies need right now.